


Faded Days

by Cosmic_Files



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Family, Flashback, Memory, Plans, Safety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-28 17:18:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10141223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cosmic_Files/pseuds/Cosmic_Files





	

He brought the cigarette to his lips, taking a long drag. He felt the acrid smoke fill his lungs before he forced the smoke out through his lips. The sound of laughter and clinking glasses reverberated off the walls and back into his head. All he could think about was Fox Mulder, and how LA had warned him of Fox. He knew that his son could be dangerous the moment he got The X-Files re opened. He wanted to help Fox -- by shutting him up. 

However, he realized that Fox Mulder was so persistent that it was dangerous, and that was putting it mildly. He swallowed hard with the realization that if Fox ever crossed his line of work, he would have to kill him. He stared into the golden amber whiskey, the thought making him feel sick.   
He hoped that Dana Scully would derail Fox slightly, and had chosen her to distract him. Sure, she wasn’t the one that could catch your eye first glance at a bar, but she was definitely the woman you fell asleep thinking of. He had hoped that maybe, just maybe, they would choose each other, but instead they chose to enter the abyss together. 

He sighed deeply and ran his fingers over his wrinkled; graying face as he finally enjoyed the burn of the alcohol soothe his stomach. Pulling out the old photograph that he had stolen so many years ago, he ran his thumb over Teena’s kind face and over Fox’s hopeful one. The edges of the photo were soft and slightly torn with age. He looked at his drink, quickly finishing it off before he slapped some cash down, stuffing the picture back into its spot in his wallet.   
He walked through the throngs of people, feeling the need to get real air into his lungs as he struggled to breathe in the first place. 

“Fucking cigarettes,” he growled to himself as he lit another one with his scratched up lighter with Trust No One engraved on the side. He sank into the shadows; he knew that Fox would be coming to this bar, and soon. In certain ways, Mulder was like him -- a creature of habit and addicted to beautiful women. He took yet another long drag off his cigarette as he felt himself drifting into his thoughts...

 

*Their moans floated between their mouths as he felt her fingers dig into his shoulders. He studied the way her face was contorted in pleasure, memorizing every detail. The way a relaxed smile slid onto her face as he rolled off, holding her in his arms.   
“Teena,” He said softly, “This has to be our last time.” 

He watched sadness suddenly etched its way into her features, “Why? Why does this have to be our last time? Bill doesn’t know. He doesn’t even pay attention to me. I love you,” she whispered thickly. 

He felt as though his tongue was thick, and he couldn’t speak. He ran his fingers along her jawline. “I love you too. What we are doing isn’t right. We met at the wrong time,” he responded. He could see that she wanted to say more. Instead, all he did was kiss her gently, begging for forgiveness with unspoken words before he pulled away and got dressed. 

He knew that Bill didn’t give her the attention she deserved, and that made it even more difficult as he tied his shoes, leaving her in the bed alone. He felt his heart rip in two and swore to himself as the front door shut behind him that he would never lay eyes on her again, if that’s what it took to keep the pain from her heart. 

 

Three Months Later. 

He glanced over his shoulder, making sure that Bill wasn’t near as Teena’s voice crackled over the line. “Are you there?” She asked.  
“I’m here. What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Why aren’t you calling Bill?” His questions flowed as his brows knit together.   
“I’m pregnant.” She took a shuddering breath. “With your child.”   
Every nerve in his body felt frozen as he felt the breath get knocked out of his lungs. “Are… are you sure?”   
“Positive,” she responded. “I know that you said not to talk to you again, but… I didn’t know what else to do. You are the father of my child.”   
He felt his mind running rampantly as his spine grew rigid. He knew what had to be done.   
“No, Teena. I am not the father of your child. Bill is. Okay?” The pain he heard erupt from her before he slammed the receiver down exploded in his brain.   
He couldn’t hear anything else as he laid his forehead against the cool tiles. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to help her, and he felt broken. He sighed heavily before he walked back to his barracks. There was no way that he would be able to face Bill right now. He silently prayed that he wouldn’t be there in the neighboring bunk. *

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Fox’s voice come near his. The orange fire from his cigarette lit his face slightly as his eyes followed his son. He saw the way his hand was placed protectively against Dana’s back. A familiar feeling came over him as he briefly looked away. The memory of doing that to Teena flashed through his mind. It was the only way he had been able to touch her without Bill suspecting anything. All he had to do was lead her through a door. He stubbed out his second cigarette just before he saw them disappear behind the same door that he had left behind.   
He turned his back, deciding tonight was not the night. It was Christmas Eve and he had received a page saying that he was needed. He wasn’t a surprise to him either. His work never stopped and he never got a break, but then again with no real family, work had become his life. He could only guess what he was going to have to do tonight. In this moment, he knew that Fox was with Dana, while he had not done much for his son, he somehow knew deep down that those two together made his work tougher. It did make him very angry that his plan with Dana did not work towards his benefit in the way that he imagined, but he knew how to play his pawns. 

He pulled the collar up on his beige trench coat before he stuffed his hands in his pockets, ducking his head slightly to not feel the cold December air burn his skin. He knew that in the long run, anything he did was going to hurt Fox. He knew that he was going to always seem like the bad guy to him, and he played that role well, but secretly he was going to extreme lengths so others didn’t kill him.   
“I will always protect you Fox,” he mumbled under his breath before letting the shadows of the night swallow him whole.


End file.
